Seven face court over dissident republican charges

SEVEN PEOPLE appeared in court in Northern Ireland on Saturday charged with serious dissident republican offences, including two brothers of well-known Lurgan republican Colin Duffy, one of whom was charged with directing terrorism.

The charges follow a major operation directed against alleged dissident republicans in Armagh, Tyrone and Antrim led by the PSNI, supported by MI5 and with the North’s Public Prosecution Service closely involved.

Three of the accused appeared at Lisburn Court amid a heavy security presence, and four appeared in Omagh charged with running a terrorist camp in Co Tyrone.

John Paul Duffy (47), Ailesbury Gardens, Lurgan, Co Armagh, his brother Damien (42), Campbell Walk, Lurgan, and cousin Shane Duffy (41), Kilwilkie Road, Lurgan, were remanded in custody after they appeared at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court.

John Paul Duffy was charged with directing terrorism, conspiracy to murder, collecting information likely to be of use to terrorists, planning acts of terrorism and conspiring to cause an explosion.

Damien Duffy and Shane Duffy are accused of the same offences, except for that of directing terrorism.

While seldom used in Ireland, the directing terrorism charge has been used in a small number of high-profile cases. The charge was used to convict former Shankill Road UDA leader Johnny Adair and was also used in the Republic to convict the leader of the Real IRA, Michael McKevitt.

A statement issued by the PSNI on Friday night indicated the police, MI5 and Public Prosecution Service intend drawing on rarely used charges if they believe they will assist them in combating dissident republicanism.

“The PSNI remains absolutely committed to using every mechanism available through the criminal justice system to reduce the threat posed by terrorist networks and to keep everyone in our community safe,” the statement added.

A detective sergeant said he believed he could connect the Duffys to the charges. Defence solicitor Joe McVeigh said the Duffy families believed they were being “persecuted” by police.

Shortly after the Lisburn hearing, four people appeared at Omagh Magistrates’ Court on charges relating to the alleged running of a dissident republican training camp at Formil Wood off the Gorticashel Road.

Sharon Rafferty, Cavana Linn, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone; Sean Kelly, Duneane Crescent, Toomebridge, Co Antrim; Terence Aidan Coney, Malabhui Road, Omagh; and Gavin Coney from Gorticashel Road, are charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for committing acts of terrorism, possession of a .22 Walther rifle and ammunition and attending a place used for terrorist training.

All four are charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for committing acts of terrorism, possession of a .22 Walther rifle and ammunition and attending a place used for terrorist training.

Mr Kelly and Ms Rafferty are also charged with directing the activities of a terrorist organisation, while Mr Kelly is charged with collecting information likely to be of use to terrorists.

A detective sergeant said there was evidence to link all four to the alleged firing range. The court was told that conversations were recorded between Ms Rafferty and Mr Kelly where they discussed among a number of issues targeting police officers and prison officers and the penetrative power of a .22 rifle bullet on a person’s body.

In March, Colin Duffy, a brother of two of the defendants, was acquitted of involvement in the dissident republican murder of two British soldiers, Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar, in Antrim in 2009.